“Sources say that the labels believe web radio is bigger than Pandora and the market will expand soon,” Greg Sandoval reports for The Verge. “Apple is coming.”

“Much has been written about Apple’s plan to launch a Pandora-esque service this year,” Sandoval reports. “Now multiple music industry insiders have told The Verge that significant progress has been made in the talks with two of the top labels: Universal and Warner.”

Sandoval reports, “One of the sources said ‘iRadio is coming. There’s no doubt about it anymore.’ Apple is pushing hard for a summertime launch.”

I’ll take that larger iPhone thank you. And so will most iPhone buyers. As for the radio service, I’ll just have to wait and see what that looks like. Since Apple makes the best hardware and software but seems to be lacking in services execution it’s a crapshoot. If they could just get their services on the same level with their hardware and software it would be great! Apparently the MobileMe ass kicking that they took a few years ago wasn’t enough. Tim Cook hardly looks like the guy to do that so maybe they need to bring in someone to shake up the troops? How about Alec Baldwin? I’m thinking of the Glengarry Glen Ross speech. Fantastic! It made me want to go out and sell real estate immediately. And I don’t even know anything about selling real estate. Brass balls!

R2, I liked your comment, until you brought up the iPhone screen size comment. Totally off topic.
Please don’t become another BLN. We all know you want a bigger iPhone, you’ve mentioned it 100’s of times. If you want to keep mentioning it, go ahead, but stick to the threads that are about iPhone screen size.

Re: iRadio

I’d also like to see a free (ad based) and paid (ad free) offering. I’d especially like it if the ad based model offered ads for products and services that I’m actually interested in. This should be fairly easy for Apple to implement.

My comment wasn’t really off topic. The iRadio interface will look and work so much better on a phone with a larger screen. It’s like the iPhone Plus will allow it to breathe better. That’s what I meant when I brought it up.

I only write hoping an apple engineer with Pull reads these and that is it. Bigger screen bigger interface hopefully offer battery too sounds simple but has not happened. Radio streams will suck battery life yes free radio. Ad free commercial free a must should be visuals at the worst, roll ups would not bother me. Also not programmed by the majors. yuck. wow that second five cent stereo speaker on ipad may be an idea finally duh

How do they get around the rediculous fees they have to pay for the streaming. 40% of pandora’s revenue goes to these royalty streams. Soehow, Siius?XM doesn’t have to apys and radiostations pay a lot eass even though their broadcasts have simutaneous straeming. Not sure about Spotify. Maybe different becasue you select the specific songs/albums. Any insignts appreciated.

1) Inflate the royalty rates so outrageously high, several times higher than terrestrial radio, that all the streamers are driven out of business.
OR
2) Gouge the hell out of Internet streamers and use it as a cruel and unusual punishment and compensation for the inevitable self-destruction of the music biznizz.

IOW: It’s the same old hateful, self-destructive, Luddite RIAA we loathe.

Keep in mind folks that music streaming is in reality this:
***FREE MUSIC MARKETING***
But that’s not gouge, I mean good, enough for the RIAA. :-P

There are, as rimshot points out, hundreds of _radio_ stations in iTunes, and always have been. These are web-streaming regular radio stations, and internet-only streaming stations, like WMBR and Radio Paradise, and are well worth the listen. Many of these stations will gratefully accept donations, but do not require them. Personally, I’ve always supported the listener-sponsored services I’ve enjoyed for years now.

Oh yeah! In a week when Wall Street markets were setting new record highs, AAPL collapsed again back to the level that reflects how incredibly dismissed by the Street is the company’s CEO. Every day this week, every day, there’s been speculation about some like this or something like something else all confirming that this company is dead in the water and no body thinks it is going anywhere under the current management. Wake up folks – this won’t change with any new or tinkered with gadget. It will ONLY change when a new CEO cast from the Steve Jobs mold arrives in Cupertino. Nothing is going to happen until that happens.